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Shareholder Litigation Discovery

BCLP

Legal Privilege - the King has been advised - the Shareholder Rule no longer applies under English Law

BCLP on

Yesterday in a landmark decision, Jardine Strategic Limited v Oasis Investments II Master Fund Ltd and others, the Privy Council, on appeal from Bermuda’s Court of Appeal, has changed the law....more

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP

No Need to Pile On: Delaware Court of Chancery Rejects LLC Books and Records Demand After Unitholder’s Months-Long Investigation

In a recent decision, Thomas J. Scaramellino v. Arencibia Holdco, LLC, the Delaware Court of Chancery refused to allow the unitholder of a Delaware LLC to access “informal” LLC books and records—email, text messages, Slack,...more

Cooley LLP

Derivative Plaintiffs Cannot Obtain Discovery to Plead Demand Futility, According to Chancery Court

Cooley LLP on

When a company experiences an adverse event, it and its directors and officers are often subject to multiple shareholder lawsuits and demands. These matters proceed on different timelines, creating scenarios in which...more

Goodwin

Shareholder Access to Privileged Documents: Views From England and the United States

Goodwin on

In England and the United States, legal professional privilege or attorney-client privilege is considered fundamental to the administration of justice, allowing clients to make confidential, full, and frank disclosure to...more

Ballard Spahr LLP

DE Chancery Court Curbs Inspection to Investigate Alleged Fraud

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In Scaramellino v. Arencibia Holdco, LLC, Delaware’s Chancery Court recently approved a limited liability company’s narrow production in response to a broad books and records inspection demand, despite the petitioner’s...more

Morris James LLP

Supreme Court Affirms Chancery Rulings in Derivative Litigation Challenging Oracle’s NetSuite Acquisition

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In re Oracle Corp. Deriv. Litig., C.A. No. 2017-0337 (Del. Jan. 21, 2025) - The Supreme Court affirmed the Court of Chancery’s decision in favor of the defendants in a derivative suit challenging Oracle’s acquisition of...more

Mayer Brown

Delaware Law Alert: Books and Records Inspection Under the Amended §220

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Delaware has overhauled its framework for stockholder books and records inspection rights. Amendments to Delaware General Corporation Law (DGCL) §220, enacted on March 25, 2025,1 seek to address the concern that inspection...more

Morris James LLP

Chancery Prioritizes Efficiency in Ruling on Discovery Motions

Morris James LLP on

Brown v. Matterport, Inc., 2021-0595-LWW (Del. Ch. Jun. 5, 2023) - The plaintiff sued alleging that the defendants had used lockup restrictions to improperly prevent him from selling shares....more

Goodwin

Delaware Federal Court Dismisses Shareholder Derivative Suit Concerning Lack of Board Diversity

Goodwin on

Delaware Federal Court Dismisses Shareholder Derivative Suit Concerning Lack of Board Diversity; California Federal Court Dismisses Shareholder Class Action Against Sorrento Therapeutics Regarding COVID-19 Treatment; Delaware...more

Goodwin

Northern District of California Kicks Shareholder Derivative Suit Against Alphabet, Inc. for Failing to Allege Demand Futility

Goodwin on

Northern District of California Kicks Shareholder Derivative Suit Against Alphabet, Inc. For Failing to Allege Demand Futility; Rare Securities “Holder’s Claim” Trial Results in Jury Verdict for Defendants; Delaware Court of...more

Proskauer - Minding Your Business

Bearing the Books and Records Burden: Delaware Supreme Court Affirms Section 220 Order in AmerisourceBergen

This past year, Proskauer’s private fund litigation blog highlighted a Delaware Chancery case adopting an expansive view in favor of parties seeking information from companies under Section 220 of the Delaware General...more

Dorsey & Whitney LLP

Delaware Court of Chancery Strictly Construes Shareholder Representative Provision, Complicating Discovery from Shareholders

Dorsey & Whitney LLP on

Following a recent Delaware case, buyers in M&A deals should ensure that their purchase agreements adequately provide for access to information from the seller in case of post-closing disputes. In Fortis Advisors, LLC v....more

McGlinchey Stafford

Am I a party entitled to enforce a promissory note?

McGlinchey Stafford on

Shareholder Derivative Lawsuit Aungst v. Light, 9th Dist. Summit No. 29349, 2020-Ohio-3347 In this appeal, the Ninth Appellate District affirmed the trial court’s decision, finding that when a shareholder’s derivative...more

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer

Delaware Chancery Court Holds That Stockholders Had a “Proper Purpose” to Seek Board Materials From Opioid Distributor, and Orders...

In a 63-page decision issued on Jan. 13, 2020, in Lebanon County Employees’ Retirement Fund v. AmerisourceBergen Corporation, Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery found that stockholders of...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Key Developments in Delaware Corporation Law

Consistent with trends in recent years, in 2019 Delaware corporation law largely was shaped by post-closing suits for money damages against directors who had approved mergers and acquisitions. Two Delaware Supreme Court...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Recent Trends in Books and Records Litigation

Recently, the frequency of stockholder demands to inspect corporate books and records pursuant to Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law has increased. In turn, the case law concerning Section 220 demands is...more

A&O Shearman

Delaware Court Of Chancery Again Dismisses Aiding And Abetting Claims For Pleading Deficiencies

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On July 15, 2019, Vice Chancellor Joseph R. Slights III of the Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed an aiding and abetting claim asserted against a private equity buyer and its principals in a stockholder class action...more

Proskauer - The Capital Commitment

Delaware Chancery Declines Post-Filing Use of Section 220 Books and Records Inspection Request

A recent decision by the Delaware Chancery Court suggests that a litigant might forego the ability to file a books and records request if it waits to do so until after the lawsuit is filed. Last month the Delaware Chancery...more

White and Williams LLP

Delaware Chancery Court Disfavors “Sue First, Ask Questions Later” Approach to a Books and Records Demand

Section 220 of the Delaware General Corporation Law entitles a stockholder of a corporation to inspect a corporation’s books and records. Section 220 requests are subject to specific technical requirements, one of which is...more

Proskauer - Corporate Defense and Disputes

The Importance of Documenting Corporate Actions: Delaware Supreme Court Requires Production of Emails in Books-and-Records Request

The Delaware Supreme Court held yesterday that a corporation can be required to produce emails and other electronic documents where necessary to satisfy a shareholder’s legitimate request to inspect corporate books and...more

A&O Shearman

Delaware Court of Chancery Grants Section 220 Demand By Director And Former CEO For Documents Related To His Ouster From The...

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On January 15, 2019, Chancellor Andre G. Bouchard of the Delaware Court of Chancery granted a former director’s petition under 8 Del. C. § 220, demanding that Papa John’s International Inc. (the “Company”) hand over various...more

A&O Shearman

Delaware Court Of Chancery Declines To Compel Production Under The Garner Privilege Exception

A&O Shearman on

On January 10, 2018, Vice Chancellor Sam Glasscock III of the Delaware Court of Chancery declined to compel the production of attorney-client privileged documents under the Garner doctrine in the context of direct breach of...more

Polsinelli

Delaware Court of Chancery Rejects Lawyer-Driven Stockholder Books and Records Demand in Wilkinson v. Schulman

Polsinelli on

Stockholder books and records demands are investigatory tools that often are a prelude to litigation directed at corporate fiduciaries. In rejecting a stockholder books and records demand, the Delaware Court of Chancery...more

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Court of Chancery Addresses the Effect of Corwin and Garner in the Section 220 Context

Since its issuance in 2015, the Delaware Supreme Court’s decision in Corwin v. KKR Financial Holdings LLC has been routinely applied, in appropriate circumstances, to dismiss post-closing deal litigation. However, Corwin’s...more

Proskauer - Minding Your Business

The Most Overlooked Exception to Attorney-Client Privilege

In-house counsel often communicate with corporate management under the assumption that these communications are protected by the attorney-client privilege— absent some type of unusual and extraordinary circumstance, such as...more

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